What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18, 2023, at approximately 16:35 l, privacy data omitted, a single-engine piston-powered fixed-wing light sport aircraft, was conducting touch-and-go practice on runway 24 at Cable Airport (ccb). The flight was for personal, private operations. During the flight, the aircraft landed short of the runway and crashed into an exterior airport fence. The aircraft crashed into the chain-link fence at a speed of about 40 knots. The cushioning effect from the fence caused the aircraft to come to a stop.
No people on the ground were injured, but airport property on the ground was damaged. The aircraft sustained substantial damage from the impact. The pilot in command, who was the sole occupant, was not reported to have any injuries. The pilot used the left main door to exit the aircraft. There was no post-crash fire. The pilot walked away unassisted.
Airport rescue came to the scene, recovered the aircraft, and moved it to a parking area. No actual witnesses to the event were reported.
The aircraft appears to have sustained substantial damage. The outboard end of the left wing is substantially damaged, the windshield is broken, the engine mounts are damaged, the prop spinner is damaged, and the propeller has prop strike damage. No leaks of fuel, oil, or hydraulic fluids are detected.
The airport manager stated the property damages. They are about 30 feet of chain-link fence and 4 light poles post. They were knocked down by the aircraft crash.
The PIC made a statement about the event. He said that when the flight was on final approach to land on runway 24, he inadvertently pulled the mixture control to cut off, instead of the throttle to reduce the power to the idle. He did not realize that the engine had quit until he tried to add power for the landing. The engine did not respond to his throttle control. The pilot was unable to achieve an engine restart in the short time available. The pilot opted to fly directly into the chain-link fence, which provided a relatively cushioned stop.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 16:35 L, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A SINGLE-ENGINE PISTON-POWERED FIXED-WING LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, WAS CONDUCTING TOUCH-AND-GO PRACTICE ON RUNWAY 24 AT CABLE AIRPORT (CCB). THE FLIGHT WAS FOR PERSONAL, PRIVATE OPERATIONS. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY AND CRASHED INTO AN EXTERIOR AIRPORT FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 40 KNOTS. THE CUSHIONING EFFECT FROM THE FENCE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO COME TO A STOP.
NO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WERE INJURED, BUT AIRPORT PROPERTY ON THE GROUND WAS DAMAGED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FROM THE IMPACT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT REPORTED TO HAVE ANY INJURIES. THE PILOT USED THE LEFT MAIN DOOR TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT WALKED AWAY UNASSISTED.
AIRPORT RESCUE CAME TO THE SCENE, RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT, AND MOVED IT TO A PARKING AREA. NO ACTUAL WITNESSES TO THE EVENT WERE REPORTED.
THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE OUTBOARD END OF THE LEFT WING IS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE WINDSHIELD IS BROKEN, THE ENGINE MOUNTS ARE DAMAGED, THE PROP SPINNER IS DAMAGED, AND THE PROPELLER HAS PROP STRIKE DAMAGE. NO LEAKS OF FUEL, OIL, OR HYDRAULIC FLUIDS ARE DETECTED.
THE AIRPORT MANAGER STATED THE PROPERTY DAMAGES. THEY ARE ABOUT 30 FEET OF CHAIN-LINK FENCE AND 4 LIGHT POLES POST. THEY WERE KNOCKED DOWN BY THE AIRCRAFT CRASH.
THE PIC MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE EVENT. HE SAID THAT WHEN THE FLIGHT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 24, HE INADVERTENTLY PULLED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO CUT OFF, INSTEAD OF THE THROTTLE TO REDUCE THE POWER TO THE IDLE. HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ENGINE HAD QUIT UNTIL HE TRIED TO ADD POWER FOR THE LANDING. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND TO HIS THROTTLE CONTROL. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO ACHIEVE AN ENGINE RESTART IN THE SHORT TIME AVAILABLE. THE PILOT OPTED TO FLY DIRECTLY INTO THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE, WHICH PROVIDED A RELATIVELY CUSHIONED STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.